Scottish actor Alan Cumming has returned a special British honor bestowed by the late Queen Elizabeth II because of his “misgivings about the toxicity” of the British Empire, he announced Friday on social media.
The film, TV and Broadway star who currently hosts the Peacock series “Traitors” was awarded the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at an investiture ceremony in 2009.
It honors his acting career and “activism for equal rights for the gay and lesbian community, USA,” he said in an Instagram post Friday, which would have been his 58th birthday.
But he announced in the same post: “I am returning my OBE.”
“The Queen’s death and the subsequent conversation about the role of the monarchy and especially the ways in which the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples around the world really opened my eyes,” Cumming wrote.
He said it was “great” that the OBE award “was brought to the LGBTQ+ cause in 2009” before same-sex marriage was legal in the US “is now less powerful than the misgivings associated with its toxicity. [the British] empire.”
“Now I’m back to the old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to you!” he wrote.
Some artists and others have returned the same award or similar awards to protest the historical actions of the British Empire and the monarchy, as well as the policies and activities of the British government.
All four of The Beatles were made Members of the British Empire in 1965. But John Lennon returned the honor four years later.
“Your Excellency,” he wrote, “I return this MBE in protest against British involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra affair, against American support in Vietnam and against it. [Lennon’s song] Cold turkey is down on the charts.
It was signed: “With love, John Lennon.”